NBA Scouting Reports, Southwestern Division (Part Two)May 27, 2008Overview: An incredibly long and athletic center who has developed a reputation as one of the League’s top rebounders. Possesses great height and a huge wingspan, even for the center position. Still very thin, but has improved his frame since entering the League. Simply a ridiculous athlete for his size. Possesses tremendous quickness and leaping ability. Doesn’t have the best feel for the game offensively, but has become a savvy rebounder and defender. Will score some points occasionally on the offensive end by virtue of his size and athleticism, but is still working on his back to the basket game. Not the same player he was coming out of Dominguez High School. Was one of the most highly touted preps in the nation after leading Dominguez to three straight state titles. Has blossomed since landing in New Orleans after five seasons with the Bulls, partially due to the presence of Chris Paul. Has matured off the court. Still has room to grow as a player given his age. Plays with a lot of heart.

Offense: An average offensive player at best who gets about half of his touches from post ups and offensive rebounds. Percentage wise, the best finisher around the basket in the league, making him very efficient overall from the field. Will get a few garbage baskets each game. Works hard without the ball. Runs the floor like a much smaller player and uses his length to his advantage when grabbing offensive rebounders. Sets very solid screens and does a good job rolling to the front of the rim. Will fight for position on the block, but doesn’t have the bulk to get the ball consistently. Fairly mediocre going one on one in the post, more of a catch and finish guy. Rarely puts the ball on the floor and cannot go left at all. Will use some spins and quick jabs that let him use his length to his advantage. Has a decent right handed hook shot, but it lacks polish. Needs to work on his consistency and footwork. Will get pushed out of his shooting motion, leading to misses. Needs to find a consistent release point in all of his moves. The same can be said for his jump shot. Doesn’t take many at all, but it could be a weapon for him if he would simply develop a consistent, high release point, and some basic touch. Will get most of his points in situations when he receives a dump pass or gets the ball at the rim in a non-post up situation. Dunks almost everything in those situations. This feature of his game, coupled with the number of touches he gets at the rim makes him an extremely efficient player based on what he is asked to do. Will finish with contact, but not when a defender really gets a body on him. Goes to the line at a decent rate and shoots a mediocre percentage. Still somewhat turnover prone, but not as much as he used to be. Outstanding offensive rebounder.

Defense: A tremendous defensive presence due to his mix of length and athleticism. Has the quickness to defend the high post and challenge shots from the weakside. Shows good timing when blocking shots, and has improved his one-on-one defense. Doesn’t block as many shots as you might think, but plays very good defense regardless. Still commits some questionable fouls, but is vastly improved in that department. Does a great job boxing out and exploding to the ball to grab rebounds. Can hedge the pick and roll. Will change his fair share of shots and carry the load on the glass. [Read Full Article]